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Hi, new member here and very new to the Winchester collector world. My first gun was a hand me down Winchester Model 72 .22 that I still seem to shoot better than any other .22 I’ve owned. Over the weekend i got the chance to buy a beautiful old 1894 from a 93 year old man who said he bought it in the 50s and I couldnt pass it up. The more I’ve looked into it I am beginning to think I may have stumbled on something special. From what I have found so far I think it is a 1915 Model 1894 Sporting Rifle in 30 W.C.F. with a 26″ octagon barrel, full length magazine tube straight stock and steel crescent buttplate. The S.N. is 821618. In and of itself I know its not necessarily a rare rifle but the condition has me blown away. I cant find any obvious indication that makes me think it has ever been refinished and the receiver retains about 70% bluing and the barrel is immaculate for a 108 year old rifle. I still have to figure out how to post pictures to the forum but i have a bunch of good pictures showing the markings, wood to metal fit up, etcetera. As soon as i figure out how the forum works I’ll get them posted. Thank you very much in advance!
Joe
Hello Joe and welcome to the WACA website.
Your Model 1894 is a Sporting Rifle and it was manufactured in mid December 1915.
If you can send the pictures of it to me, I will post them for you.
Bert – [email protected]
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Hi Bert, thanks for the welcome to the community! I sent some pictures of the rifle to your email. I had to send the pictures in separate emails because i couldnt get them to send in one. Should be 7 coming in. Thanks for narrowing down the manufacturing date so much more for me! I wasnt sure if there were still any records available for this serial number range. Looking forward to your input on the rifle once the pictures go through.
Thanks again,
Joe
Nothing has arrived in my email inbox yet ?
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
OK, here are the pictures (slightly edited).
You are correct in that it is an exceptionally clean and high condition Sporting Rifle… absolutely a desirable collector’s gun!! 
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
If that’s your first purchase, you did extremely well!
Most of us make the mistake of buying our first rifle with too little cash and, as a result, condition is compromised. Or we see what we think is a good Winchester, and find it’s been reblued, etc.
By 1915, the receiver had a tendency to flake and few from that era are found with the amount of bluing yours has.
So, to determine if you really did well, like got this one really cheaply as well, how much did this fine rifle cost?
In and of itself I know its not necessarily a rare rifle but the condition has me blown away.Joseph Mallon said
You’re right; the configuration itself is common, but its condition is outstanding! Standard rifles weren’t usually babied, as this one apparently was. That blue loss would probably have occurred whether the rifle was handled or not; it was caused by a problem in the bluing process.
mrcvs said
If that’s your first purchase, you did extremely well!Most of us make the mistake of buying our first rifle with too little cash and, as a result, condition is compromised. Or we see what we think is a good Winchester, and find it’s been reblued, etc.
By 1915, the receiver had a tendency to flake and few from that era are found with the amount of bluing yours has.
So, to determine if you really did well, like got this one really cheaply as well, how much did this fine rifle cost?
Yupp, it is my first collector gun. I bought it just thinking it would be a decent pre 64 shooter but when i got it home and really started looking into it and looking it over i quickly realized it might be a good one.
I was able to get it for 1,500, which makes it one of the more expensive guns ive purchased. Ive been wanting a pre 64 1894 for quite a while and this one just fell into my lap.
I was at a garage sale to buy a drill press for my buddy, struck up a conversation about machining with the homeowner and he asked me if i was into guns. Naturally i said yes, and his wife brought out about 10 long guns for me to look over but the 1894 was the one that really caught my eye. The old timer said he bought it in the late 1940s or early 1950s and rarely shot it.
Joe
I was able to get it for 1,500, which makes it one of the more expensive guns ive purchased. Joseph Mallon said
Before your luck breaks, better buy up all the lottery tickets you can find.
Bert H. said
OK, here are the pictures (slightly edited).You are correct in that it is an exceptionally clean and high condition Sporting Rifle… absolutely a desirable collector’s gun!!
Thank you very much for helping me get the pictures posted! Do you have any recommendations on cleaning and preserving the rifle? I bought it just hoping for a nice shooter but im thinking i should really let this one be a safe queen and try to find another in worse shape to shoot.
Joe
Joseph Mallon said
mrcvs said
If that’s your first purchase, you did extremely well!
Most of us make the mistake of buying our first rifle with too little cash and, as a result, condition is compromised. Or we see what we think is a good Winchester, and find it’s been reblued, etc.
By 1915, the receiver had a tendency to flake and few from that era are found with the amount of bluing yours has.
So, to determine if you really did well, like got this one really cheaply as well, how much did this fine rifle cost?
Yupp, it is my first collector gun. I bought it just thinking it would be a decent pre 64 shooter but when i got it home and really started looking into it and looking it over i quickly realized it might be a good one.
I was able to get it for 1,500, which makes it one of the more expensive guns ive purchased. Ive been wanting a pre 64 1894 for quite a while and this one just fell into my lap.
I was at a garage sale to buy a drill press for my buddy, struck up a conversation about machining with the homeowner and he asked me if i was into guns. Naturally i said yes, and his wife brought out about 10 long guns for me to look over but the 1894 was the one that really caught my eye. The old timer said he bought it in the late 1940s or early 1950s and rarely shot it.
Joe
It’s easily worth twice what you paid for it!
Joseph Mallon said
mrcvs said
If that’s your first purchase, you did extremely well!
Most of us make the mistake of buying our first rifle with too little cash and, as a result, condition is compromised. Or we see what we think is a good Winchester, and find it’s been reblued, etc.
By 1915, the receiver had a tendency to flake and few from that era are found with the amount of bluing yours has.
So, to determine if you really did well, like got this one really cheaply as well, how much did this fine rifle cost?
Yupp, it is my first collector gun. I bought it just thinking it would be a decent pre 64 shooter but when i got it home and really started looking into it and looking it over i quickly realized it might be a good one.
I was able to get it for 1,500, which makes it one of the more expensive guns ive purchased. Ive been wanting a pre 64 1894 for quite a while and this one just fell into my lap.
I was at a garage sale to buy a drill press for my buddy, struck up a conversation about machining with the homeowner and he asked me if i was into guns. Naturally i said yes, and his wife brought out about 10 long guns for me to look over but the 1894 was the one that really caught my eye. The old timer said he bought it in the late 1940s or early 1950s and rarely shot it.
Joe
I think it’s easily worth double (maybe more) than what you paid. It’s a plain-Jane, but the condition makes it rare/desirable to collectors. What were the other guns? Maybe you should go back for more!
Don
deerhunter said
Joseph Mallon said
mrcvs said
If that’s your first purchase, you did extremely well!
Most of us make the mistake of buying our first rifle with too little cash and, as a result, condition is compromised. Or we see what we think is a good Winchester, and find it’s been reblued, etc.
By 1915, the receiver had a tendency to flake and few from that era are found with the amount of bluing yours has.
So, to determine if you really did well, like got this one really cheaply as well, how much did this fine rifle cost?
Yupp, it is my first collector gun. I bought it just thinking it would be a decent pre 64 shooter but when i got it home and really started looking into it and looking it over i quickly realized it might be a good one.
I was able to get it for 1,500, which makes it one of the more expensive guns ive purchased. Ive been wanting a pre 64 1894 for quite a while and this one just fell into my lap.
I was at a garage sale to buy a drill press for my buddy, struck up a conversation about machining with the homeowner and he asked me if i was into guns. Naturally i said yes, and his wife brought out about 10 long guns for me to look over but the 1894 was the one that really caught my eye. The old timer said he bought it in the late 1940s or early 1950s and rarely shot it.
Joe
I think it’s easily worth double (maybe more) than what you paid. It’s a plain-Jane, but the condition makes it rare/desirable to collectors. What were the other guns? Maybe you should go back for more!
Don
There was a beautiful Remington rolling block with bayonet, a Savage over under .22/410, a very nice Winchester Model 12 in 16ga (that one has me tempted to go back), a few .22s and a really nice 12ga Winchester Model 1897 with a 30″ barrel that my buddy wound up buying. Im hoping I can at least go back for the Model 12 but id like the rolling block too. I mostly collect military rifles.
Joe
clarence said
I was able to get it for 1,500, which makes it one of the more expensive guns ive purchased. Joseph Mallon said
Before your luck breaks, better buy up all the lottery tickets you can find.
Im hoping to be able to go back for his Model 12 16ga and Remington Rolling Block!
Joseph Mallon saidThere was a beautiful Remington rolling block with bayonet
That would be my 1st choice, esp. if it’s US issue, not foreign. (Be aware that most of the RBs imported from Latin America were arsenal re-blued.) Once had one of those Savages, & loved it, until someone stole it out of my truck; wish I had another.
Joseph Mallon said
Bert H. said
OK, here are the pictures (slightly edited).
You are correct in that it is an exceptionally clean and high condition Sporting Rifle… absolutely a desirable collector’s gun!!
Thank you very much for helping me get the pictures posted! Do you have any recommendations on cleaning and preserving the rifle? I bought it just hoping for a nice shooter but im thinking i should really let this one be a safe queen and try to find another in worse shape to shoot.
Joe
Joe,
Clean it like you would any other quality firearm. A simple wipe down of the steel with a soft cloth and a spares amount of oil (keep the gun oil off of the stocks), or buy yourself a bottle of Old West Snake Oil, and use it to wipe down the entire exterior of the rifle. Run a few patches through the bore with Kroil, let it sit for day, then dry patch it clean.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
clarence said
Joseph Mallon saidThere was a beautiful Remington rolling block with bayonet
That would be my 1st choice, esp. if it’s US issue, not foreign. (Be aware that most of the RBs imported from Latin America were arsenal re-blued.) Once had one of those Savages, & loved it, until someone stole it out of my truck; wish I had another.
It was the first one that was brought out, he didnt have very much information on it but it was in really really nice shape and had the bayonetand cleaning rod. It may very well be one of the south american rolling blocks that was refinished, but i would have to take a closer look if i go back out. I didn’t make an offer on that one because I had no idea what the price range would be.
Well Joe, there isn’t much I can add to this thread, as I agree with everything that has been said. It is a beautiful, outstanding rifle and any one of us would be proud to own it. You did very well.
I want to thank everyone for helping me find out what i really have! I gave it a good light cleaning and wiped down the steel with some light oil, then tucked it carefully in the back corner of the safe where it wont get damaged. Im looking forward to getting it out to the range at least once soon! It will be treasured as the highlight of my collection for years ti come!
Thanks again everyone,
Joe
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